Applicators for hygienic purposes, such as catamenial tampons, suppository devices, medicament applicators for humans and animals, and the like, are utilized daily in large quantities. Such applicators are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be constructed out of different materials. For tampon applicators in particular, the materials can include plain paper, coated paper, cardboard, injection molded and extrusion molded thermoplastics, and thermoplastic films. Some of these materials are biodegradable, photodegradable, ultraviolet light degradable, water soluble, water dispersible or compostable, at least to a certain degree. The disposal of such applicators can present an environmental issue if it does not occur quickly and completely.
In the past, many applicators, especially tampon applicators, were constructed out of paper held together by water-soluble glues. When such applicators were disposed of by flushing them down a toilet, the applicator would readily break apart in the water and become unrecognizable. With the advent of plastic applicators and paper applicators coated with a thermoplastic film, manufactures and water-treatment plant operators in particular, have become aware that many of such applicators do not dissolve or degrade sufficiently within a reasonable period of time. Even applicators made from water-dispersible and/or water-soluble resins can require an extended time period before they break apart or substantially dissolve. The differences in breakup time can be attributed to the chemical composition of the plastic, the applicator design and shape, varying wall thicknesses, the water temperature in which the applicators are immersed, the amount of agitation the applicators may be exposed to, etc.
It has been found by experimentation that many thermoplastic applicators, which are water-soluble, tend to collapse into a sticky glob of plastic. While the plastic is unrecognizable as a tampon applicator, the plastic can still clog up the filtration system of a municipality's sewage and waste treatment plant. This is undesirable today and there is a need to design and manufacture applicators made from thermoplastic applicators and paper applicators coated with a thermoplastic material which can breakup into small pieces very quickly, especially in cold water. Once the applicator has broken apart, the individual pieces can dissolve over an extended period of time without causing problems in the waste treatment facilities.
Now a thermoplastic, water-dispersible applicator has been invented which exhibits accelerated breakup into small pieces when the applicator is immersed in water.